Soccer Football - Premier League - Newcastle United v Chelsea - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - May 11, 2025 Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson walks off the pitch after being shown a red card after a VAR review Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS..
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed Nicolas Jackson will miss Chelsea’s trip to West Ham on Friday as he searches for a new club. Maresca added that the decision is due in part to Chelsea already having two strikers, seemingly nodding to summer signings Joao Pedro and Liam Delap who they signed from Brighton and Ipswich Town respectively for a combined total of £90 million.
When asked about Jackson’s availability ahead of Friday’s match, Maresca said on Thursday:
“He is available but he is not going to be part of the squad because as we already said, we have two strikers, two players in that position and also we know that something can happen before the transfer window closes.”
ESPN has reported that Chelsea value Jackson at around £60m, with Aston Villa and Newcastle among the teams pursuing the player. The latter in particular are understood to be in the early stages of exploring a deal, amid ongoing concerns with compliance of Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Newcastle are embroiled in a public spat with their star striker Alexander Isak who has requested a transfer and so far refused to return to training with the club amid interest from Liverpool. The Magpies have been in search of a replacement before considering sanctioning the sale and have been rebuked in their efforts to sign Brentford ace Yoane Wissa.
They could turn their attention to Jackson as an alternative.
Maresca hints at Jackson departure, more outgoings
Maresca remained tight lipped on the exact status of Jackson’s departure. When asked whether or not a deal was close, he said:
“No idea to be honest, no idea. You know already from last season that I prefer to be focused on the training sessions, preparing the game and these kind of things, I don’t know.”
Maresca also lifted the lid on the status of several outcasted Chelsea players, listing as many as three others who could be sold before the transfer window closes. He mentioned Christopher Nkunku was in a similar situation to Jackson amid interest from Bayern Munich and former club RB Leipzig.
Both Jackson and Nkunku are still training with the first-team squad, however the same cannot be said for Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling who are working alone as they seek their next moves.
The pair departed Chelsea last season on loan, with Chilwell spending the second half of the season at Crystal Palace. Sterling joined Arsenal in what turned out to be a difficult spell for the player.
Chelsea continue to be linked with a move for RB Leipzig forward Xavi Simons and may look to sell players first to offset their massive outlay this summer.
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